RoSA, HSC and ATAR

RoSA

The NSW Education Standards Authority issues the Record of School Achievement (RoSA) to eligible students who leave school BEFORE completing the Higher School Certificate (HSC).

The RoSA is a cumulative credential, meaning it contains a student’s record of academic achievement up until the date they leave school. This could be between the end of Year 10 up until and including some results from Year 12.

The RoSA is useful to students leaving school prior to the HSC because they can show it to potential employers or places of further learning.

Eligibility Requirements

To receive a RoSA, students must attend school until the final day of Year 10.
They must also complete the following mandatory Years 7-10 curriculum requirements.
  • English: The syllabus must be studied substantially throughout Years 7–10. By the end of Year 10, 400 hours need to be completed.
  • Mathematics: The syllabus must be studied substantially throughout Years 7–10. By the end of Year 10, 400 hours need to be completed.
  • Science: The syllabus must be studied substantially throughout Years 7–10. By the end of Year 10, 400 hours need to be completed.
  • Human Society and its Environment: The syllabus must be studied substantially throughout Years 7–10. By the end of Year 10, 400 hours need to be completed. This must include 100 hours each of History and Geography in each Stage.
  • Languages Other than English: 100 hours to be completed in one language over one continuous 12-month period between Years 7–10 but preferably in Years 7–8.
  • Technological and Applied Studies: The Technology (mandatory) Years 7–8 syllabus to be studied for 200 hours.
  • Creative Arts: Two hundred hours to be completed, consisting of the 100-hour mandatory courses in each of Visual Arts and Music.
  • Personal Development, Health and Physical Education: Our mandatory 300-hour course to be completed. This integrated course is to be studied in each of Years 7–10.

HSC

Students must satisfactorily complete the Preliminary (Year 11) course before commencing the corresponding Year 12 course.

The Higher School Certificate (HSC) is the culmination of a student’s school career and is the highest educational award that can be achieved at secondary school in NSW.

The HSC reports student achievement in terms of a standard achieved in individual courses and presents a profile of student achievement across a broad range of subjects

All courses in the HSC have a unit value.

Most courses are 2 units which equates to 120 hours of study and a HSC result out of 100

Some courses are 1 unit. This is equivalent to 60 hours of study and a HSC result out of 50

Many 1 unit courses are extension courses, enabling 3 or 4 units of a subject to be studied

Eligibility Requirements

Preliminary (Year 11)•minimum of 12 units•students must satisfactorily complete the Year 11 course before commencing the corresponding Year 12 courseYear 12•minimum of 10 units
Both the Year 11 and Year 12 pattern of study must include:•2 units of compulsory English•at least 6 units of Board Developed Courses•at least 3 courses of 2 units value or greater•at least 4 subjects (including English)•a maximum of 6 units of Science may be included in the Year 11 pattern of study.•a maximum of 7 units of Science may be included in the Year 12 pattern of study.
•From 2020, students need to demonstrate they have met a minimum standard in literacy and numeracy to be eligible for a HSC.
•Students will show they meet the HSC minimum standard by passing online tests of basic literacy and numeracy skills, which are available for them to sit when they are ready in Year 10, 11 and 12 and after the HSC.
•Students must complete HSC: All My Own Work or its equivalent before they can be enrolled for any Preliminary or HSC course with NESA via Schools Online.

ATAR

The ATAR is a rank, not a mark.

The Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) is a number between 0.00 and 99.95 that indicates a student’s position relative to all the students.

Universities use the ATAR to help them select students for their courses and admission to most tertiary courses is based on your selection rank (your ATAR + any applicable adjustments). Most universities also use other criteria when selecting students (eg a personal statement, a questionnaire, a portfolio of work, an audition, an interview or a test).

The average ATAR is usually around 70.00.

If every school student went on to achieve an ATAR, the average ATAR would be 50.00. But because some students leave school early and the ones who stay on to receive an ATAR are a smaller, more academically able group, the average ATAR is higher.

ATARs are calculated in each state to reflect a student’s rank against other students in their state. In NSW, the ATAR is calculated and released by UAC. In the ACT, it’s calculated by the ACT Board of Senior Secondary Studies, in consultation with UAC, and released by schools. NSW and ACT ATARs are equivalent to those in other states. For example, an ATAR of 85.00 in NSW or the ACT is equivalent to an ATAR of 85.00 in other states.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for an ATAR in NSW, you must satisfactorily complete at least 10 units of ATAR courses. These ATAR courses must include at least:
  • 8 units from Category A courses
  • 2 units of English
  • three Board Developed courses of 2 units or greater
  • four subjects.

Your ATAR is then calculated from your:
  • best 2 units of English
  • best 8 units from your remaining units, which can include no more than 2 units of Category B courses.